Viet Nam submits request to join Expansion of the Information Technology Agreement

The Chair noted that on 1 April Viet Nam submitted a note verbale, or formal diplomatic note, expressing its intention to join the ITA II. The Chair said the step sends a strong signal that the Agreement continues to be relevant and to attract new participants. Viet Nam, a major exporter and importer of IT products, said at the meeting that it is committed to engaging constructively in the accession process. Several delegations took the floor to welcome this development. 

The ITA was concluded in 1996 in Singapore at the first WTO Ministerial Conference and came into force in 1997, requiring participants to eliminate customs duties, as well as other duties and charges, on IT products such as computers, telecommunications equipment and semiconductors, and to bind them in their WTO tariff schedules. The tariff commitments are applied on a most-favoured-nation (MFN) basis, which means that all 166 WTO members will benefit from duty-free access to ITA products in participating markets. Viet Nam joined the ITA in 2007. 

At the 10^th Ministerial Conference, held in Nairobi in 2015, the ITA II was concluded to cover 201 more products, such as touchscreens, GPS navigation equipment, video game consoles and medical equipment. Eighty-four WTO members are currently signatories to the ITA, and 56 are part of the ITA II. 

The Chair further noted that he continues to be available to hold consultations with WTO members and observers who have not yet joined the ITA and ITA II. 

The next formal meeting of the Committee and a thematic session on "ITA and Artificial Intelligence" are scheduled for 23 June.